J.J. Spaun switches putters before U.S. Open defense

Three weeks before he is set to defend his title at the U.S. Open, J.J. Spaun has benched the putter he used to secure his major victory at Oakmont last year. The professional golfer has switched from his L.A.B. Golf DF3 to a heel-shafted OZ.1i HS model for the Charles Schwab Challenge, citing visual struggles and a need for a fresh start on the greens [1].

Key takeaways

• Spaun replaced his U.S. Open-winning L.A.B. Golf DF3 with an OZ.1i HS putter [1].
• The change was driven by a worn finish on his old putter that made alignment difficult [1].
• Despite winning the U.S. Open, Spaun ranked 155th in SG: Putting this season [1].
• Through two rounds with the new putter, Spaun is eight under par and gaining strokes on the field [1].

Alignment struggles and visual fatigue

Spaun, who became the first player to win a major with a "zero-torque"-style putter at the U.S. Open, decided to make the change after finding himself "resenting" his previous club on the course [1]. According to L.A.B. Golf co-founder Sam Hahn, the issue was not mechanical but visual; the platinum finish on Spaun’s DF3 had worn down over a year and a half of practice in the Arizona sun, making the alignment aid difficult to see [1]. L.A.B. fitter Liam Bedford worked with Spaun in Arizona to find a replacement, resulting in the selection of the OZ.1i HS, the company's first heel-shafted design [1].

Immediate results at Colonial

The new putter features a different shape, a firmer steel milled insert, and a shaft lean adjustment from 2 degrees to 0 degrees compared to his previous gamer [1]. The switch appears to have yielded immediate improvements. Through two rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Spaun is eight under par and gaining more than a shot on the field with the new flatstick [1]. This performance contrasts with his season-long struggles, where he has been losing more than a half-shot on the greens despite a recent victory at the Valero Texas Open [1].

Why it matters

The equipment change comes at a critical time as Spaun prepares for his title defense at Shinnecock Hills. While he famously holed a 64-foot, 5-inch putt on the 72nd hole to win the U.S. Open, his putting statistics have declined since that victory [1][2]. Hahn noted that putting a new putter in the bag can "wipe the slate clean" of accumulated negative thoughts, and Spaun indicated he is confident the OZ.1i HS will remain in play for the major championship [1].